By CricketCountry Staff
New South Wales pacer Trent Copeland, and South Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon are set to make their Test debut in the first Test against Sri Lanka to be played at Galle on Wednesday.
Published: Aug 30, 2011, 11:34 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 30, 2011, 11:34 PM (IST)
Trent Copeland claimed six of the 12 Sri Lankan Board XI wickets to fall in the recent three-day match © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Galle: Aug 30, 2011
New South Wales pacer Trent Copeland, and South Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon are set to make their Test debut in the first Test against Sri Lanka to be played at Galle on Wednesday.
Copeland will replace Ben Hilfenhaus while Lyon will replace Michael Beer in the Australian team.
Lyon will be the 12th spinner to play for Australia since the retirement of Shane Warne.
“They’re two different bowlers.” Clarke said. “Nathan Lyon is a more attacking spinner than Beery.”
“Beery bowls a bit faster at the wicket and more straight into the pegs whereas Nathan Lyon probably spins the ball a bit more and to the right handers bowls a bit further outside off stump,” said Clarke
Copeland, who bowls at just 125kph but will be a handful for the Sri Lankan batsmen feels skipper Michael Clarke.
“The greatest advantage Copes has is his statistics in first-class cricket don’t tell a lie,” said Clarke.
Copeland claimed six of the 12 Sri Lankan Board XI wickets to fall in the recent three-day match, giving him 93 wickets at 21 in just 18 first class matches.
“There’s a reason he’s had success there (for NSW) and I’m certain it’ll be the same reason he has success for Australia.
“He’s got great control. Very rarely do you see too many blokes hitting him in the middle of the bat consistently and I think that’s because he’s got good height and he just wobbles the ball enough.
“I’m a big wrap for him – I love his control, I love the way he bowled in the first game. Although it was a practice game he would have been nervous but I thought he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.”
